Drought southwest Missouri – southeast Kansas

Drought is affecting southwest Missouri and southeast Kansas.  

According to Steve Runnels with the Springfield National Weather Service:   

“The drought that started in 2022 did see some signs of improvement during the fall, but now it is getting worse.  The Joplin area and southeast Kansas is the area we are most concerned about.”

Parts of Barton and Vernon County in Missouri and a large part of southeast Kansas are in extreme drought.